Clover Family Research Compendium

Created, edited and maintained by June Clover Byrne

For the Clover Family Historical Society

        Mr. Smith came from Massachusetts with a span of horses and wagon. The roads were muddy and very rough, making it necessary to travel slowly. They were six weeks making the journey, which can now be made in twenty hours. For many years Mr. Smith was quite extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits, in which he was very successful for a time, but towards the latter part of his life became somewhat involved, and sold his farm to his son, John K. Smith, who still retains possession of it.
        Mr. Smith died April 11, 1852, aged seventy-seven years. His wife, Sarah, died October 15, 1865, aged eighty-five years. Nearly all their children settled in Bainbridge. Thomas married Emeline Eggleston, and resided on the farm now occupied by Mr. Abbott, in the southeast corner of Bainbridge, until his death, which occurred February 22, 1855, when he was fifty-three years old. After his death his heirs sold the farm and removed to Allegan county, Michigan, where several of them still remain. Mrs. Smith was the mother of ten children, nine of whom survived her. She died in Michigan, of injuries received at the burning of her house.
        Robert, jr., second son of Robert Smith, sr., married Maria Osborn, and purchased the farm a part of which is now owned by John Hopper. He removed to Farmington, remained ten years, and returned to Bainbridge. In 1848 he removed to Illinois. Soon after he joined a company bound for California, the Eldorado of the world. He had just arrived there when he died from the effects of poison administered by a young man of the company for the purpose, as was supposed, of obtaining a few hundred dollars in cash which he had on his person.
        Rachel, second daughter of the Smith family, married George Wilber, and settled in Auburn, where they resided for some time, when they removed to Aurora, Illinois, where they now reside. They are the parents of nine children, six of whom are living.
        The eldest daughter of Mr. Smith married Dr. David Shipherd, December 25, 1832. They resided till their death in Bainbridge.
        The youngest daughter married Orlando Giles, and is now a resident of Bainbridge, and the only one of the family left in the township. Mr. and Mrs. Giles have four sons and a daughter, all of whom are married.
        Albert, the third son, died unmarried, in 1839, at the age of twenty-five. Bainbridge, the fourth son, married Miss Dodge and settled in Illinois, where he engaged in the legal profession. The fifth son, John K., has been twice married—first, to Miss Lucinda Clover, of Bainbridge, who died in 1854. In 1856 he married Mrs. Clarinda Loveland, of Parkman. He resided in Bainbridge till the spring of 1877, when he removed to Akron. The youngest son, Edwin, married Emeline Bidwell, and removed to Iowa some years since.

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